Waste Not, Want Not
by Accidentally The Whole Fanfic
Summary: After giving Duke a gift earlier that day, a simple sighting later causes Jack to go off the deep end and wonder if anyone really appreciates the gifts he gives them.


Waste Not, Want Not

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><p>Jack Ailes was a kind and generous man, as Mineral Town had come to see in the year he'd lived there. Every single day, without fail, Jack would surprise a few villagers at random with thoughtful gifts - delicious recipes cooked right from his own kitchen; fresh, excellent crops pulled right from the earth of his own farm; trinkets, medicine, juicy fish - they all appreciated Jack's efforts and thoughtfulness, and knew that in return, this was his way of showing appreciation for their help and kindness.<p>

"Wow, Jack! Thanks!" Duke Lipschitz said, as he gratefully accepted a fresh-caught salmon from the young farmer. "This looks delicious!"

Jack smiled and waved it off. "Anytime, Duke! Well, I've got some more errands to run, so I'll see you later!"

"See you!" Duke replied, as he headed home to put the fish in his cooler for tomorrow night's dinner. _That kid's got a heart as big as the ocean, _he thought warmly. _I think I'll invite him to have dinner with us tomorrow._

Later that Saturday afternoon, Jack headed over to the local inn to grab lunch and chat with Ann, when he spotted a family, sitting down together at one of the tables.

It was Duke's family. Duke, Manna, and Cliff. Duke, Manna, and Cliff, about to dig into plates of the inn's delicious cooking, which Ann had just set before them.

Jack's eyes narrowed slightly, and he felt a slight sting in his heart. He'd _given_ Duke a fish, _god damn it_. Where was it? Had he maybe used it already?

Or had he just tossed it aside ungratefully, accepting the gift solely out of social obligation, but never intending to use it? What was the point of the effort, then?

His hands clenched tightly into fists, Jack quietly left the inn. He took several deep breaths to slow down his madly-thumping heart. Nobody disrespected him like this and got away with it. Nobody. Nobody...

Jack's capacity for rational thought had quickly plummeted into the negatives, and was now draining from his body as sweat sliding down his forehead. He headed up to Mother's Lake, fishing pole in hand. He would _make_ Duke appreciate everything he did to make the villagers happy...

It took two hours for Jack to pull up another salmon - he had single-handedly overfished the local population to near-extinction in two months - but the timing couldn't have been better, for him. As he fixed his wild-eyed gaze on the wriggling pink fish, a maniacal laugh ripped from his throat, reminiscent of Shion Sonozaki. He could taste Duke's presence in the air... he would make Duke see how hard he worked...

He staggered down Mother's Hill, his breathing ragged. His brown bangs hung loose from beneath his cap, and cast his eyes in complete shadow. The fish was clenched so tightly in his fists that it was close to bursting.

"Hello, Duke," he rasped, spotting the object of his mission on a leisurely stroll with Manna and Cliff.

"Oh, Jack! Hey!" Duke waved. Cliff smiled and nodded a hello, while Manna prepared to launch into what could have been a novel-length greeting and inquiry.

But Jack's odd appearance caught them off-guard. Manna frowned, concerned. "Jack, are you alright? You look very odd, like something's gone wrong... or maybe very right? But it's a very creepy sort of way you're presenting yourself, you know, it's a bit scary-"

"I have a present for you, Duke," Jack interrupted evenly, and quick as a flash, he was before Duke. His grip on the fish was even tighter now. "A present you'll appreciate..."

Duke blinked, and scratched his chin in confusion. "Another fish, eh? Well, Jack, thank you! I really do appreciate it-"

"SHOW ME!" Jack roared, now shoving the fish right in Duke's face.

"What is the meaning of this?" Manna demanded, clutching her husband's shoulder protectively. "Jack, what's wrong with you! You're acting scary, now stop-"

"EAT THE FIIIIIIIIISH!" Jack shrieked, wrenching Duke's mouth open and cramming the raw, slimy, slippery tail of the fish inside. Duke gagged and spat it out, and Jack's eyes widened in rage.

"Jack, _what the fuck-_"

"YOU!" Jack screamed, pointing at all of them. "You people, _all of you people! I give you gifts all the FUCKING time, you always thank me and put them away, never see you using or wearing them EVER - do you even USE them? Do you even LIKE them? What the hell's it all for, huh? SHOW ME YOU APPRECIATE MY EFFORT!" _His face was red now, and his voice were becoming more garbled and raspy as his rage went off like an atomic blast. "_I WANT TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE USING THIS FISH! RIGHT NOW! EAT IT **AAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL** IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW SO I KNOW I'M NOT WASTING MY __**FUCKING TIME ON-**__"_

Jack's words were suddenly cut off as a loud crack and a spray of red coincided with him jerking sharply, then suddenly crumpling over. The air fell deathly still and silent. A faint smell of gunpowder floated about. Duke, Manna, and Cliff stood frozen in shock as blood began to slowly pool beneath Jack's body. There was an ugly bullet hole right through his heart.

"Please... you'll use..." Jack gurgled, before his eyes slid shut. A horrific, rattling breath drew from his body, and then he went limp and pale.

Manna screamed, and Cliff let out a loud sob. Duke stood there, shaking violently, as Gotz came up to them. In his hand, he held a rifle.

"Stupid boy," Gotz growled mournfully. "What was that all about? Of course we loved his gifts... we just didn't have enough memory for the necessary sprite modifications to show us using or wearing them... he should've known that."

His odd words went unnoticed as Manna fell to her knees, bawling loudly into Jack's blood-soaked shirt. Her cries mingled with Cliff's, rising up into the sorrowful dusk that fell upon Mineral Town.

And Duke pried the salmon from Jack's tight, clammy grip, swallowed the hard lump in his throat, and began to eat.

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>Wow, I really have a habit of screwing with the Harvest Moon characters, don't I? This idea was inspired by someone who complained about people putting gifts "away" in certain games and never using them, prompting someone to respond "What do you suggest, they just eat the food right in front of you so you know they used it?" (Paraphrased.) This is the sick idea that resulted.

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